Bring Me Heartache
by ForeverLilacLies
Summary: Five relationships in Dick's life that failed and one that soared.
1. Chapter 1

Dick fell in love with Wally before he even truly realized what being in love actually meant. Sure there was Zatanna who Dick had greatly enjoyed kissing. But Wally was the first person to make his palms sweat and his heart beat faster. The older boy had managed to pull him in with his easy smiles and contagious laughter. The time they spent together had Dick feeling oddly warm and excited like after really exciting missions with Batman. He'd reach out and hold Dick's hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world. As if they were meant to be together forever. Where one was, the other was sure to follow. It was a fact of life. Dick didn't make up these sort of rules.

Then Artemis came into the picture and Wally was suddenly there less and less. The arguing gave way for flirting and soon Dick found his hand empty as he watched his best friend with her. All of a sudden it was no longer Robin and Kid Flash attached at the hip. It was now Wally West dating Artemis and smiling that teasing smile he had always saved for Dick, now being given freely to her. Dick couldn't even being himself to be angry at them for it. Artemis was his friend and teammate and Wally had been…was his first love. But it really couldn't mean anything. Wally liked girls. Wally flirted with girls. He wasn't attracted to boys. He was just friends with Dick and although Dick wished for something more in those moments they would hold hands, he would never dare jeopardize their friendship. He couldn't lose Wally. That didn't stop him from wondering though. What would it be like to kiss Wally West? What would it be like to have that arm wrapped around his waist?

As time passed the distance between them grew until Dick all but forgot how warm Wally's hands were or how his freckles made constellations across his cheeks. Dick had used to stare at them, transfixed by them and those bright green eyes that had Dick weak at the knees. Now he barely saw those eyes or those freckles. If this was part of growing up, Dick wished he could take it all back. Dick wished he could have that same easy friendship he once had with the older boy. All things had to end and it seemed their friendship was fast approaching that final point.

Then everything went to Hell. Dick had become Nightwing and Wally and Artemis had retired…they had left the hero business behind them. Dick had pulled them back into the game and Artemis had agreed to go undercover. For all Dick's careful steps and planning, Wally's frustrations and anger soon came hurdling out. The risks had been too much.

 _"Look, I'm sorry you lost all your souvenirs!"_

They fought as they never had before. As they never should fight. Dick and Wally didn't fight with each other. Dick and Wally were inseparable. Wally had spat his disgust in Dick's face. Had physically shoved him down, enraged beyond belief. Dick had endangered the woman he loved and in doing so had lost that final thread that kept them together. Dick's heart had broken as he realized he had finally lost the boy-the man he had loved since he was a child and even at nineteen had still always felt something for.

 _"You put her right into his hands."_

There had been nothing but hatred in his voice. Something Dick had never expected to face. This was the end. Even if everything went right. They would never be the same. When Wally never returned for the final time, it was as if all the warmth had been robbed and Dick couldn't breathe. It was a joke. It had to be. Wally was getting back at Dick for the shit he had put him through. He would show up on the snowy landscape any second. He had to show up. The air had been cold and Artemis had cried bitterly on her knees. Dick wanted to disappear, he wanted to be with Wally. He should have been with Wally...Wally had left him behind and in his death, had taken a part of Dick's heart with him.

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 **I always had such feels for Wally and Dick in Young Justice Season One that I was disappointed by the lack of anything in Season Two. Wally's death would have really messed Dick up and I'm curious to see what happens by Season Three!**

 **I'm trying to keep these on relative order by how old Dick was when he first became attracted or when they first got involved, some like Wally lasted years even if it was unrequited, while some might not last quite as long. With Wally it was Season One and Two (13-19).**


	2. Chapter 2

Dick had known Barbara since he was like thirteen or something. She was a childhood friend that had taken the mantle of Batgirl when it was presented to her. She was brilliant and confident, the daughter of Commissioner Gordon. It only made sense that she would be involved with the crime side of Gotham. It was in her blood. She fit into the slowly growing Batfamily easily and Dick was quick to become smitten with her. The older teen never seemed to let anything hold her back. She kept moving forward with headstrong force. Dick fell fast and hard and it didn't matter that there were dangers that could be presented. They would play a dangerous game by allowing themselves to get close, but it spurred them on. Gotham was not safe to truly let yourself be vulnerable but neither were afraid. They were both so young and flirting with each other was just so natural.

She would offer him that little smile behind Bruce's back and when it was just them they would kiss, softly at first, both new to this. Soon they began to allow themselves to push a bit more. Dick thought he found the love of his young life. She was beautiful, smart, kind and her hair…Dick had an affinity for red hair and Barbara's was so bright and so perfect that he knew there would be no coming back from it.

 _"Babs, you need to live a little."_

 _"Hunk Wonder, I think you and I have a little bit of a different idea on what **living** is. I am **not** getting that tattoo."_

Barbara was all ice and smooth brilliance. She offered a calm foil to Dick's often pent up energy and zing. He longed for adventure and the open skies while she found herself content with taking each day as they came. They balanced each other. Dick was still so young when they started dating, too young if you asked Bruce, but no one really tended to ask him anything. Dick was growing up and part of growing up was falling in love. Dick had a habit of falling hard and fast and Barbara was no exception to that.

But two brilliant young people couldn't always make things work. They bickered. Usually about the small things that neither could remember later on. Barbara held him at arm's reach as if to protect herself and him from taking the plunge that Dick had desperately wished to take. With her he would be ready to try anything, but Barbara would not risk it. She had college approaching and Dick was still in high school. He would have to remain her past so she could move forward. It was probably the most stable relationship Dick would ever be in and the breakup would be the easiest to go through with. Romance aside, they could remain friends and look back with fond memories. So they said their goodbyes with no hard feelings and relieved to be able to go on with their lives. Oracle and Nightwing didn't need romance to keep their friendship alive.

As comes with the job description, danger is always approaching the Batfamily. The Joker in particular had an affinity for causing pain. He took and took and took until there was nothing left. The Joker had robbed her of her legs but her voice was strong and it was clear that he never robbed her of who she was. The Joker had failed and Barbara was the living embodiment of that.

 _ **"Oracle, I'm on my way to the cave."**_

Barbara Gordon was an exception to the rule of Dick's exes. While he had a habit of losing contact and all familiarity with his other exes it would be Barbara that would be that exception and he loved her all the more for it, even if it was no longer in the way he used to. Her voice, even years later on the com as Oracle was as soothing as it had been when Dick was fifteen.

 _ **"See you soon, Nightwing."**_

See you soon.

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 **Barbara was the second relationship! I always liked her but felt like there was more of a companionship. She remained a positive force in Dick's life even if it was not romantic.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Barbara was the second relationship! I always liked her but felt like there was more of a companionship. She remained a positive force in Dick's life even if it was not romantic.**

 **On with chapter three!**

* * *

If Barbara was like ice then Kory Anders was all fire and passion. She was a whirlwind that never feared the unknown. They had started as teammates in the Teen Titans and had easily been drawn to each other. Dick was easing out of leaving Batman behind and had been going through a hard time when reaching Jump City. The Titans as well as Kory…Starfire had helped him cope with the changes and somehow he had managed to reach a sense of peace. He had been in such a dark place for a while and Kory was their through every step. She was a constant ball of energy and positivity that once Dick had always felt but now tried to avoid. He had wanted to show Batman that he was capable and by doing so he was only smothering who he actually was. Kory helped him find himself again. She was all freedom and excitement and for once, Dick had found his match in personality and zeal. It should have been perfect.

 _"We are friends, Robin."_

His first time was with her, both fumbling together and giggling despite themselves. He was gentle and she guided him on what she enjoyed and helped him find what he did as well. Loving Kory was like playing with fire. There was a wild freeness that came with being with her and Dick had easily allowed himself to fall into it completely. When Dick fell, he fell hard. It was obvious as it was consuming. She had crashed Kitten's prom to help him, she had tried to help him when his mind played tricks on him. She was his friend when he felt so alone. As the Titans became more powerful, more people joined their ranks. After Cyborg had gone to join the League, a shapeshifter named Mirage had joined the team. Dick had finally transitioned from Robin to Nightwing and it finally felt like he was an actual adult with his adult girlfriend by his side. Everything was going perfectly…it only made sense that things would go wrong. Fire however had a habit of burning those too careless with it and it did not take long for Dick to be burned. One night when Kory had gone off to visit her family, Mirage had approached Dick in her form. Dick had been tricked into sleeping with her and the fallout was catastrophic. It was something Dick didn't enjoy thinking about.

 _"Dick, you **slut**_!"

Kory had faced terrible horrors before coming to earth. She had faced them and still managed to find kindness in herself. But there was nothing she would spare for Dick's 'betrayal'. They parted and even to this day avoided each other. It was the one relationship that always left Dick feeling lost. How one moment they could be whispering endearments to each other while at the carnival to Kory not even being able to look at him. She had been a constant in his life. He had been seventeen and nearly an adult but he felt so small and useless. He didn't like to think on it, or about her. There was too much hurt involved and Dick was so tired of feeling hurt.


End file.
